game on

I have this very good friend called Vanessa. One of my closest. Here is a picture of her.

From memory what is just out of shot is a whip of some sort.

Anyway, some time last year Ness cooked up this mad idea that at a random point of time, she would text me the words "GAME ON" and from that point onwards I would have to imagine we were in post apocalyptic societal shutdown with no access to shops of any kind, and see how long we could last.

I thought this sounded fun and insanely agreed.

About two months later I got the text, but it was a seriously bad week, Adam was away, I can't remember, but I said I couldn't do it and she agreed I could have one right of refusal. But that next one was IT.

I'm a bit less intrigued, and a little preoccupied, but ah what the heck. Let's do it.

There was some speculation we might last a couple of months. This was unfounded and wildly optimistic: we have exactly five rolls of toilet paper left. Also only a week's worth, if that, of fruit. How long will we be prepared to go without fruit? We'll see. Kid's lunchboxes? By next week we might have to be a bit imaginative.

It's also Easter in under a fortnight and I don't have eggs for the kids – hmmm.

However, my curiosity has totally kicked in.

I've never been a stockpiler, and wish I was. Why do I not buy toilet paper in bulk? Why do I not have loaves of bread made and sliced and in the freezer?

I only have about a litre of milk left – can I find a way of getting milk??

The rules are that you can swap stuff, trade and barter. I had two litres of cream about to expire in the fridge and tonight made a big batch of butter, sour cream and icecream. There's a couple of litres of yoghurt doing it's thing on the bench and I have lots of flour.

How long can we go without buying anything?

For all my talk about how much I hate supermarkets, I find myself popping in more than once a week, that's for sure.

We've got a freezer full of home grown pork and a couple of chickens left. We have eggs, although they're mostly pre-sold to our local food co-op!

I have some lettuces growing but they're a way off. Time to investigate foraging! Maybe trade with friends with gardens.

Come on, this'll be fun. Because I have no idea what we can really do without.

xxx

18 Comments on “game on”

Ness

March 28, 2012 at 11:48 pm

You can do it!! Show us how oh wise farmer/wonder woman! If anyone can do this challenge you can! We want to know!

I think this is a great idea. We all take it for granted that our civilizations are just going to keep going.
Guess what…hasn’t really worked out all that well for most civilizations in the past (and we’re on the same trajectory….hello, Jared Diamond!)! Not that it’s guaranteed to happen again, but it’s scary to think of how many millions of people are totally unprepared and have not even thought of the possibility!

As far as toilet paper is concerned, have you experimented with ‘family cloth’ yet? I’ve been using it for #1 for about a year now…haven’t moved on the other side of bathroom breaks, but I know it would be very handy if stores stopped carrying toilet paper!!

Sounds like a really cool thing to try, but the toilet paper thing could be a problem – for me anyway. Good luck! I’ll be back to check your progress…By the way, can you trade with your friend Vanessa? Since she’s the one that called game on, I bet she stock piled some stuff….may toilet paper?

This is going to be fun to watch (she says safely from the sidelines!). I just did a run through in my head of how we would go at this moment – not so well is the answer. I’d suggest swapping some of that amazing pork for loo paper with someone you know and some bikkies for fruit and veg – you might even find a new stockist for some of your products. Looking forward to following this one.

Oh you have me intrigued now. I can’t wait to see how you go…..I know I wouldn’t last long, I have never stockpiled either, although I really do wish I would!!!
Good luck and make sure you keep us informed lol.

The only unfair thing about all this is your friend chose when the game began. If I were her, I’d have my stockpile of t-paper and any essentials I thought I might need all stockpiled away. What are you going to do about making your goodies for the farmer’s market?

I think this “game’s on” is a really good way to see how prepared, or not, you are! It’s a shame all your eggs are spoken for, the eggs could be a great bartering tool. When will your cow begin producing milk? This should make a stockpiler out of you and in the long run be very beneficial!

SB

March 30, 2012 at 8:08 am

Bahahahaha you two are crazy 🙂 I love Darren’s comment. I think next time (yes, I am somehow sure there’ll be a next time) I get to call ‘Game ON’ so neither of you have any warning at all. Now THAT would be fun 😛

Mom24boys

March 30, 2012 at 2:29 pm

I am a stockpiler so I think we would do fairly well, especially if I rationed the cheese. My guess would be that we could go, easily, 4 months. That would entail using powdered milk, rationing the 6# cheese in the fridge, very little fresh greens, utilizing dehydrated vegetables, foregoing sour cream and ice cream and figuring out a way to supplement the chickens’ feed. For the chicken feed, I think I would barter with the restaurants in our little town for their scraps.

I will be waiting to hear how it goes for you and yours.

Oh, and PS, we have a 12 pack of TP so for a 4 month stint, we would have to institute the use of reusable cloth for #1 to make it last. [we are a family of 6 – mom, dad, 27, 26, 16 & 13 year old boys]

Nin

March 30, 2012 at 8:12 pm

OMG I LOVE IT YOU CRAZY CHICKS!!!! Although, lets face it I would be totally screwed as my idea of stockpiling is a couple of tins of tomatoes and chick peas!!!!! Good luck Miss Fi, cannot wait to hear all about the adventure xxx